Beach interns tackle TV industry as August brings more campus wins
Making Waves is a monthly column that celebrates accomplishments of the Ƶcommunity.
College of the Arts student, alum earn elite TV internships
Janani Nair ‘25 and third-year student Jimena Meza Gonzales were among just 40 students nationwide selected for the Television Academy Foundation’s prestigious Summer Internship Program. Nair, who received her degree in technical theater arts, is interning in set design at Paramount with Emmy-winning art director Adam Rowe. Gonzales, who is majoring in cinematic arts and minoring in Chicano and Latino studies, joined the “Getting Real: Unscripted” program at Endemol Shine North America. Their summer placements have offered hands-on training at top Hollywood studios and reflect the Foundation’s goal of increasing diversity in television. “As a Latina,” Gonzales said, “it is extremely difficult to navigate the television industry. The Foundation has granted me the opportunity to develop my skills and learn from professionals.”
ÁNDALE program named finalist for national recognition
䳧’s ÁNDALE Latino Research Training Program is a finalist for the 2025 Examples of Excelencia, the nation’s only data-driven effort to spotlight programs with proven impact on Latino and other post-traditional student success. Short for Advancing Nutrition Development through Alliance for Education and Leadership, ÁNDALE — which is funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture —prepares underrepresented undergraduates for graduate school or the workforce through a 10-week research and training experience. Students study Latino nutrition and disease prevention, receive professional development and conduct faculty-mentored research. As a finalist, ÁNDALE is recognized among a select group nationwide for intentional, sustainable practices that expand access to higher education while cultivating talent to strengthen the nation’s future workforce.
Chamber Choir shines at international festival
earned first place in the Open Choir category at the Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod in Wales, scoring an impressive 98 out of 100 — one of the highest scores in festival history. The win propelled the ensemble into the prestigious Choir of the World finals, where they represented the United States alongside top choirs from around the globe. Under the direction of Professor Jonathan Talberg, the 39‑member group also placed second in the Adult Folk Song Choir competition. While the Choir of the World title ultimately went to a New Zealand ensemble, Dean Royce Smith praised the students for delivering their very best on an international stage. The tour included performances in Ireland and Wales, offering students a rare opportunity to share their artistry with global audiences.
Ƶtranslators win international Italian studies prize
Four Ƶtranslators have received the Flaiano Prize for Italian Studies for their English translation of “The Natural History of a Neapolitan Miracle: The Secret of San Gennaro’s Blood” by Francesco Paolo de Ceglia. The honor, presented in Pescara, Italy, recognizes outstanding works promoting Italian culture abroad. Recipients were Clorinda Donato, director of the Clorinda Donato Center and professor of Italian and French; Manuel Romero, the center’s associate director; Alessandra Balzani, instructional program coordinator and lecturer; and Jaclyn Taylor, lecturer in Italian. Balzani and Taylor accepted the award on behalf of the team during the June 28 ceremony. It is also notable that three of the four translators — Romero, Balzani and Taylor — are graduates of 䳧’s Italian Studies MA program, the only such graduate program in the CSU system.
Emeritus professor publishes book on First Ladies
Craig R. Smith, emeritus director of 䳧’s Center for First Amendment Studies, has released his 25th book, “First Ladies: Enduring Infidelities, Strokes and Assassinations,” a sweeping look at America’s first ladies from Martha Washington to Melania Trump. The work examines the challenges these women faced while shaping a role not defined in the Constitution. Organized into seven historical eras, the book explores how first ladies established lasting traditions while delving into little‑known stories, including a first lady accused of manslaughter in her youth and another who served as acting president for six months. A former speech writer for President Gerald Ford, Smith is a prolific and acclaimed political writer.
Faculty secure CSU grants for AI teaching innovation
Four Ƶfaculty members have been selected for funding in the inaugural CSU Artificial Intelligence Educational Innovations Challenge, which drew more than 400 proposals from across the system. The awardees — Claudia Barrulas Yefremian (College of Business), Geri Lawson (Liberal Arts), Heather Macías (Education) and Sara Nourazari (Health and Human Services)— will each lead projects that integrate AI tools into teaching and learning. Their initiatives span AI literacy in undergraduate business courses, rethinking large language models as research partners, supporting teacher education retention and creating faculty‑guided AI learning environments for critical thinking. Ƶsubmitted 45 proposals from seven of its nine colleges, demonstrating strong campus engagement with emerging technology. Funded projects launched in June and will continue through June 2026.
Business lecturer launches journalism award, new book
Angela Aleiss, lecturer emeritus in the College of Business, has created the Native Americans in the Arts and Entertainment Award for the Los Angeles Press Club. The honor, which includes a $500 cash prize, will debut at the club’s dinner in December and recognize the best story highlighting issues affecting Native Americans in the arts and entertainment industry. Aleiss is the author of “Hollywood's Native Americans: Stories of Identity and Resistance” and will publish her next book, “Broken Arrow,” with University of New Mexico Press in October 2025. The new work explores the 1950 film of the same name, part of the Reel West series, and continues her focus on representations of Native Americans in popular media.
July Employee of the Month: Fiscal analyst Raquel Arevalo
A fiscal and operations analyst for New Student & Family Programs has turned her passion for welcoming newcomers into a career — earning recognition as 䳧’s . Raquel Arevalo ‘03 began her campus journey as a student assistant with the SOAR program while pursuing a degree in business administration management. Today, she leads the same team she once belonged to, mentoring student assistants and helping to welcome more than 197,000 newcomers during her two decades of service. Known for her warmth and professionalism, Arevalo played a key role in the success of this year’s Day at The Beach, coordinating finances and hospitality for one of the university’s largest outreach events. Colleagues praise her for embodying service excellence and inclusive collaboration, and for personally following up to ensure students feel supported.
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